by Robin Martens
(This post is a talk that was delivered Christmas Eve at Campbell River Baptist Church, December 24, 2011.)
Consider John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (ESV)
I don’t know how many of us have really come to deeply appreciate a reference like John 3:16. Too often it has been a text of dividing controversy among certain Christians sects. (Does God love every last person? Does he love the world in a general way? I’m not going to answer that here. Rather, I want to get to something far more important.)
Two stories illustrate the problem of our obliviousness: (1) Years ago, during my time at Aldergrove Baptist Church, we had a guest speaker who shared his testimony during his sermon. He said that he had sat in a church pew for decades where the gospel and world of God was preached week in and week out, but he himself had never taken it to heart. Then one day he heard the message of John 3:16 as if for the first time, and he responded and was filled with the love and life of Jesus. Soon after his conversion he became a traveling compelling rep for a new missionary agency. (2) Recently, a lady personally shared with me how she had attended church for some years. She sang in the choir, she sang solos, she was involved; and the whole while she thought she had a relationship with God. It came to pass that she went through The Road to Emmaus. It was in that time that she was, for the first time, really felt awakened to the love that God had for her in Christ. What is the point of these two stories? They go to show how easy it is for us to miss what matters most, to miss something of the full import of monumental Bible verses like John 3:16.
Consider John 3:16 again, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. In a love beyond what we can fully compute, God, in the person of his Son Jesus, stepped into our world and lived among us. And he gave himself for us. He did this for one reason: that we who believe would have everlasting life. This is more about a quality of life than it is quantity. It is not the mere succession of one day after another without end. I will come back to that toward the end of this blog post. For now, note that God coming into the world is the Christmas story. In fact, John 3:16 summarizes the incarnation, the crucifixion, and the resurrection of Jesus. The Christmas story according to John is an all-in-one. We do not end the story at the manger, for Jesus is God himself standing among us.
Now, when was the last time in recorded biblical history that we witnessed “the God” walking among his people? It was Genesis 1-3. God the Son would specifically visit his people, Adam and Eve, in the cool of the day to fellowship with them. Besides some brief appearances in dreams, visions, and the like, this is the last time we see God personally walking among his creatures. The second time is recorded in John 1-3. But why a gap of several thousands of years between appearances? The answer is straight forward. The rebellion of the first couple against God, under Satan’s deception, severed the relationship between God and his creatures. And we as a human race have been on the run from God ever since; and moreover, because he is perfectly good, God has not been able to dwell with us as he originally intended because of our sin. Hence, the sudden disappearance of the presence of God.
(It is an interesting side-note that a number of ancient religions, before Christ and before Moses, retain a memory of a time in the distant past when a supreme God, the maker of absolutely everything, was worshiped but that that worship was interrupted and ceased. See Cowan on “Monotheism” in The New Dictionary of Christian Apologetics; and Geisler in the Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics.)
Thus, we see every indication of God’s existence but God himself is nowhere to be found. Notwithstanding, he is still around. Acts 17: 26-27 clearly says that this supreme God whom ancient religions spoke of still remains near to all. He continues to uphold the cosmos and our lives, providing for our needs. However, he is not relationally connecting, closing that final gap, because of the unrelenting evil intent of every human heart. He will not connect with anyone, that is, until people are prepared to lay down their weapons of rebellion (hard hearts, evil intents, and corrupt deeds), to repent and turn to him. When that happens, that is when people meet Jesus; or rather, begin to see him who has always been near.
If you are not a committed follower of Jesus, the sad reality is that God has not been in your life. This absence of the glory of God in your life evidences itself in a number of ways. Let me sum it up in two points: it is evidenced by (1) ignoring God or denying his existence; and (2), in one way or another, likely in several ways, living contrary to him and his moral intentions for you (Romans 1:28-32). Whether it bothers you or not, and it should, that is you.
But the glad truth - the good news of Jesus - is that God has re-entered the world in the most personal way imaginable. Conceived to a poor misunderstood virgin, born in an animal shelter with feed trough for a crib, God has humbled himself to show his true intent of love (that he is not a power hungry tyrannical monster, as so many make him out to be); and that as far as we’re concerned today, he has come to enter into your life.
The question now is what will you value more, the life you’ve built without God’s glorious presence and purpose, or will you start now to value God? What do you want most? What will you value most? How about valuing God above all else? After all, the Bible describes Jesus as the pearl of great price, and a treasure hidden in a field (Matthew 13), something to be sought above all else. What will the value be if you were to repent and turn to Jesus? So many things could be listed here, but the one thing which really matters can only be known when one uses common sense to give up a self-centered life for a God-centered life in Christ. It can’t be explained to you. Yet, it’s just how life was meant to be.
Here is an illustration from my own life story: I had a martial art and fitness career in the making. Somewhere in that process of building my own life I found Jesus; or rather, he found me. I became a Christian. I knew it was the right thing to do. However, without a second thought I maintained my highest value on my martial art and fitness career instead of God. This was obviously a huge problem that came to a head when the chief instructor ordered me last second to compete in a tournament because he was short some black-belts in a certain division. I was off due to knee injury, had pretty much recovered, but had no serious training for the several months prior. I begrudgingly competed. Unfortunately, in the midst of the first round of my first three-round match - with a fellow I had trained up to black-belt and who was also my friend - my opponent initially got the upper hand. Due to pride I quickly lost my temper. I more than made up for points in the second round but by then I had broken his nose and cracked some of his ribs, and I lost the match due to point deduction from being to rough (it was only semi-contact). For the next few days I was so down. I had not only lost my temper but a good friend. I knew at that point in my life that my obsession with my fitness and martial art career was too much for me. Not only that, I saw clearly what idolatry can do. So I quite. I picked up everything - trophies, videos, suits, equipment - and put it in the dumpster in back of my apartment. Before, during, and after junking everything I cried out with all my heart, “just Jesus,” again and again. After I was done, I felt only the amazing peace and glory of God. It was of more value than anything I could imagine. From the point of that choice God began to change my life in amazing ways. There is more to this particular part of my life story, yet, what I have said is sufficient.
My story also reminds me of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus (Mark 10). He was no doubt an up and coming respected leader among the Jews of his day. Had it all. He had wealth, status, and a secure future. He also loved it all. In fact, he loved it more than God. This fatal idolatrous problem was revealed by Jesus when he told the young man that his spiritual emptiness would be solved if he sold off his wealth, gave it to the poor, and followed after him. He hung his head in sorrow and walked away from Jesus. Jesus loved him, even though, so far as we know, he continued to value first the life he had inherited and built for himself.
As for you, my encouragement is to make the choice for Jesus. Find out what it will really mean for you to set aside, say, the idolatrous consumerism of NA culture, especially that which is in Santa’s name. If God set aside his riches to enter this world for you and me, then why not set aside what is passing and fading for that which is everlasting? For what is everlasting life but to know the living God in Christ Jesus (John 17:3 cf. John 3:16) …
Merry Christmas,
Robin